Unemployment is rising, despite the government’s attempts to contain it in recent months.
Israel National Employment Service (INES) figures show that the seasonally adjusted number of jobseekers rose 1,020 to 194,000 in February, a 2.6% increase, compared with January, but 5.6% below the February 2002 peak of 205,400.
The seasonally adjusted number of those claiming income supplements leaped 4.3% in February to 84,900. The number has been increasing by 1,500 monthly, and currently amounts to 45% of all jobseekers in Israel.
The number of new jobseekers reached 22,800 in February, 12% of the total. 55% of these new jobseekers were laid off in February.
There were fewer working days in February, due to INES employee sanctions, and no details regarding centers of unemployment (more than 10% unemployment) were provided. It nevertheless appears that the number of centers of unemployment continues to exceed 20 mostly Bedouin and Arab villages and communities.
The February statistics indicates that the lack of new jobs is creating chronic unemployment. 95,000 jobseekers, about half of the total, have accumulated over 20 unemployment days, and 101,000, 55%, have accumulated over three months of unemployment in the past 12 months. 25,000 jobseekers, over 10%, the hard core employed, were unemployed during all of the past 12 months.
Despite the declared government policy to reduce the number of foreign workers, the reported legal foreign labor force rose 1,800 to 97,900 in February, a 2% increase.
For the first time in months, the number of INES-authorized Palestinian workers employed within the green line was up, rising 39% to 21,300, compared with only 15,600 in January. An additional 5,700 new Palestinian workers were granted permits.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on March 17, 2003